During parliamentary discussions on the bill amending the passport law, a member of the opposition expressed concerns that the bill might benefit Ravi Lamichhane, chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party. Even a ruling party MP voiced worry over the bill’s provisions potentially removing criminal charges in certain cases. Nishkal Rai, coordinator of the Nepali Congress, highlighted apprehensions about the bill proposing no jail sentences for passport misuse.
Rai did not directly mention Lamichhane by name but referenced ongoing court cases related to passport misuse. He stated, “We are concerned that this will also benefit the ruling party chairman along with other individuals.”
Speaking at the House of Representatives meeting, Rai said, “The passport issue is highly important and complex; we cannot overlook it. Senior political leaders and prominent figures have also faced questions regarding passports.” He added, “I would like to remind everyone that the issue of passport misuse has already reached the courts.” Lamichhane was investigated for allegedly presenting false information to obtain a Nepali passport despite holding a U.S. passport. However, the Attorney General’s Office decided not to pursue the case further, and a writ petition against this decision is pending before the Supreme Court.
MPs raised concerns about the following arrangement: Under Section 22 of the current Passport Act, if a person is found to have obtained a passport by providing false information, a punishment of one to three years imprisonment, or a fine ranging from NPR 200,000 to NPR 500,000, or both, can be imposed. However, the government’s bill proposes that no imprisonment will be given for such an offense. Instead, a fine of NPR 100,000 to NPR 200,000 will be imposed, and the Director General of the Department of Passports could pay this fine on behalf of the offender. This provision has drawn significant concern within parliament.
